Automatic feed apparatus for steam irons



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United States Patent AUTOMATIC FEED APPARATUS FOR STEAM IRONS WalterKlein, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 28, 1954, Serial No. 433,235

7 Claims. (Cl. 3877) My invention relates to automatic water feedapparatus for steam irons, and included in the objects of my inventionare:

First, to provide an automatic water feed apparatus for steam ironswhich maintains a constant supply of distilled water at a predeterminedpressure for a battery of steam irons, whether or not any or all of suchirons are in operation.

Second, to provide an apparatus of this class which automatically shutsoff and operates a warning means when the supply of water is depleted,or pressure drops from any other cause.

Third, to provide an apparatus of this class which is arranged toutilize distilled water as supplied in glass bottles without transfer toa special storage tank.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter,reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of my apparatus, shown in relation to abattery of steam irons;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the valve means employed in myapparatus;

Fig. 3 is an end view of a modified form of valve element;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view thereof, through 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram, illustrating the mode of operation of myapparatus.

My automatic feed apparatus for steam irons employs an electric motor 1which drives a pump 2, which is connected by an intake line 3 to asource of water supply which may be a conventional glass carboy 4containing distilled water.

A discharge line 5 extends from the pump 2 to a valve body 6 having asupply passage 7 communicating with the discharge line 5. The supplypassage 7 extends through the valve body and is joined to a supply line3. A main shut-off valve 9 is preferably interposed in the supply line8, adjacent the valve body 6. The supply line 8 extends past a batteryof steam irons 10yand is connected thereto by a series of lateral lines11, each of which may have control valves 12.

The valve body 6 is provided with a main bypass 13, leading from thesupply passage 7 and communicating with a return line 14 which extendsinto the upper end of the carboy 4. Interposed in the main bypass 13 isa check valve 15 which is preloaded by a spring 16 so that the mainbypass 13 remains closed until the pressure in the supply passage 7 andsupply line 8 reaches a predetermined value. Adjustment of the spring 16is effected by a screw 17 located in a screw-threaded socket formedwithin the valve body 6. The extremity of this socket is closed by aseal screw 18. It is desirable that there be restricted communicationbetween the intake line 3 and the return line 14 at all times. This isaccomplished as shown in Fig. 2, by means of a bleed port 19 bypassingthe check valve 15.

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Also communicating with the supply passage 7 is a normally closedpressure switch 22 adapted to be opened when the pressure in the supplypassage 7 and supply line 8 reach a predetermined value. As shown inFig. 5, the pressure switch 22 is in series with a normally closed relay23 having contacts which control the motor 1. A normally open manualswitch 24 is provided which shunts the contacts of the relay 23 so thatthe motor may be started, irrespective of the pressure in the supplypassage 7.

It is desirable to provide a warning means should the pressure switch 22close, causing the relay 23 to open, as would be the case if thepressure in the supply passage 7 and supply line 3 falls below apredetermined value, whether from depletion of the water or other cause.This is accomplished by a signal light 25 and buzzer 26 connected inparallel with the coil of the relay 23 so that when the relay isenergized the warning light and buzzer function.

Operation of my automatic feed apparatus for steam irons is as follows:

When the main switch 27 is closed, in order to start the apparatus thewarning light and buzzer are caused to operate. The manual switch 24 isthen closed and held closed until the warning light and buzzer cease tooperate, indicating that the pressure switch 22 has opened and thepressure in the supply line is adequate.

The water demand of a battery of steam irons may vary from zero, whenthe irons are heating up or are not in operation, to a predeterminedmaximum when all of the irons are in full use. If the demand is zero ornearly so, the output from the pump is returned through the check valve15 to the point of supply. As the demand increases, the check valvetends to close, reducing the recirculation of the distilled water. Whenthe apparatus is properly installed, the maximum demand never exceedsthe output of the pump so that under all conditions of operation thereis a return flow of distilled'water through the return line 14.

It should be observed that the carboy is normally disposed at a lowerlever than the pump, and that the restricted bypass around the checkvalve enables the pump to pump water during the starting period as wellas during periods of no demand.

Should the pressure drop for any reason, whether due to pump failure ordepletion of the water, the warning light and buzzer functions and themotor 1 is stopped, so that the condition may be immediately rectifiedbefore water contained in the steam irons is depleted or the pump rundry.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I donot wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but my inventionis of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for automatically supplying water to steam irons,comprising: a supply line connected to a steam iron; a water container;a discharge and return line connected with said water container; a pumphaving an intake side connected with said discharge line; a motor fordriving said pump; a pressure switch for controlling said motor; warningmeans also controlled by said pressure switch; a valve body having aninlet port connected with the outlet side of said pump, a supply portconnected with said supply line, a pressure port connected withsaidpressure switch, a return port connected with said return line,unrestricted ,passageways interconnect- Iingsaid-inlet, supply, andpressure ports, a main passage, and a restricted by-pass, bothcommunicating between said passageways and said return port; and a pres-:sure relief valve including a check valve and spring means disposed insaid main passage for effecting unidirectional .flowfrom saidpassageways to said return port and re-. turn line, and tending tomaintainapredetermined pressure in said passageways, supply line, andpressure switch; said pressure switch operable ,to'stop saidmotor .andactuate saidrwarning means on drop of pressure in said passageways belowa predetermined value; said re- ;stricted byepass permitting limitedcirculation from said discharge line through said pump and back to saidreturn line, irrespective of the position of said pressure relief valve.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said restrictedby-pass is a passage extending through said ,check valve.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein: said restrictedby-pass is separate from said check valve.

4. An apparatus for automatically supplying water to steam irons,comprising: a supply line connected to a :steam iron; a water container;a discharge and'return .line connected with said water container; a pumphaving an intake side connected with said discharge line; a motor fordriving said pump; a pressure switch for con- .trolling said motor;warning means also controlled by said pressure switch; a valve bodydefining a longitudinal .bore, atransverse bore, a by-pass bore parallelto said longitudinal bore and intersecting said transverse bore, ;saidvalve body also defining an inlet port at one extremity .of saidlongitudinal bore connected with the outlet end of said pump, a supplyport at the other end of said longitudinal bore connected with saidsupply line, a pressure portat one ,endtof said transverse boreconnected with said pressureswitch, and a return port connecting .said.by -pass bore with said return line; a valve seat in .saidtransversebore between said longitudinal bore and ,saidtby-pass bore; ,a checkvalve engageable with said valve seat to effect unidirectionalflowbetween said longitudinal bore and said by-pass bore; a spring backingsaid check valve; a spring tension adjustment member screwthreaded insaid transverse bore; a screw-threaded cap closing the transverse bore;said spring being adjustable by said member to hold said check valveclosed until a predetermined pressure differential obtains between saidlongitudinal bore and said by-pass bore; and means forming a restrictedpassage between said longitudinal bore and by -pass bore to maintainflow of water from said discharge line through saidrpump and back tosaid return line, irrespective of -the position of said check valve;said pressure switch being operable to stop said motor and actuate saidwarning means on drop of pressure in said passageway below apredetermined value.

5; An apparatus assetforth inclaim 4, wherein: said restricted port islocated within said check valve.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein: said restricted portis located externally of said check valve.

7. An apparatus for automatically supplying water to steam irons: a pumphaving an intake and an outlet;.-a

motor for driving said pump; a supply line for connect ing the outlet ofsaid pump to a plurality of steam irons; a water container; ,adispensing line and a return line connected with said container, saiddispensing line also being connected with the intake of said pump; meansfor continuously recirculating a portion of the output of said ptunpthrough said return line to said container; a pressure, relief valveincluding a check valve and a spring, and disposed relative to said pumpto by-pass additional portions of the output of said pump and tending tomaintaina predetermined pressure in said supply line and steam'irons, apressure switch exposed to the pressure insaid supply line andelectrically connected with said motor in the event the pressure in saidsupply line falls below a predetermined value; and a warning means alsoelectrically connected with said'pressure switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS644,741 Guthrie Mar. 6, 1900 1,654,614 Smith Jan. '3, 1928 2,019,954Desure Nov. 5, 1935 2,075,719 'I-Iillis Mar. 30, 1937 2,090,035 FellowsAug. 17, 1937 2,270,146 Steele Jan. 13, 1942 2,302,476 Rubinstein Nov.17, 1942

